How to Stay Healthy on Vacation: Tips for Enjoying Your Trip Without Weight Gain or Joint Pain

Tips for enjoying a vacation guilt and pain free!

Vacations are a time to relax, unwind, and explore new places. I, for one, am ALWAYS on the go for vacation: long walks, exploring cities, getting out in nature. And then there's the FOOD! By all means, you want to enjoy the food, but maybe you don't want enjoy what happens on the back end of that vacation: the dreaded scale. You can, however, strike a balance with enjoying your vacation without "Going Gonzo." For those concerned about maintaining their health—especially avoiding vacation weight gain and joint pain—there are easy, practical strategies that you can adopt without sacrificing the joy of your trip. In addition, it is also important to take care of your joints, particularly if you're engaging in more physical activities like walking or hiking. Here's how to strike that perfect balance.

Planning ahead for success in finding balance of healthy and indulgences.

1. Plan Ahead

- Research Healthy Food Options: Before you travel, look up local restaurants that offer healthier dishes. Visiting local markets can also help you find fresh, nutritious food that’s both delicious and supportive of your health goals.

- Pack Healthy Snacks: Travel days are often filled with fast food temptations. Bring along snacks like fruits, nuts, or protein bars to avoid poor choices and keep energy levels up.

- Set Realistic Goals: Don’t expect perfection. Allow yourself the occasional indulgence, but balance it out with portion control and healthier meals.

-Enjoy the local food: Strike the balance between enjoying that French pastry for breakfast with a salad for lunch. Or if you want to try the local deep fried speciality, go for a light sorbetto for dessert. There are ways to find the balance of enjoying yourself without beating yourself up the next day, or as you waddle back to your hotel room!

Exploring cities on foot is a great way to stay active

2. Stay Active

- Walk More: Sightseeing is a perfect way to stay active without feeling like you’re exercising. Choose walking tours or rent a bike to explore the city or natural landscape. This not only helps keep your weight in check but also supports joint health through regular low-impact movement.

- Hotel or Vacation Rental Workouts: I'm an avid Peloton user and will seek out hotels that have one of these precious bikes (well, precious to me anyway!) Many hotels come equipped with fitness centers, but if you don't have access to one, bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups can be done anywhere. These exercises help maintain muscle strength, which is vital for joint support.

-Pilates: The workout that goes where your body goes! Remember, if you're one of my clients, you get access to video on demand! If you're not a client, I've got you covered with a monthly subscription. I also check out to see what local studios are around as I love a new perspective!

- Engage in Fun Activities: Incorporate active adventures into your trip, such as hiking, swimming, or even paddleboarding. These activities provide an excellent full-body workout while protecting your joints by mixing up the types of movements you're doing.

3. Eat Mindfully

- Practice Portion Control: Restaurant portions tend to be large, especially on vacation. Consider sharing a meal with a travel companion or ordering smaller portions.

- Savor Local Specialties: I'm an adventurous eater and absolutely don't want to miss out on the local fare! Don’t deny yourself the experience of enjoying rich, flavorful local dishes. Instead, have smaller amounts and focus on enjoying every bite. Remember that life is worth living, and food and company create beautiful memories!

- Watch Alcohol Consumption: Alcoholic drinks can add hundreds of empty calories. Not only that, they lower your inhibition to saying no to that extra helping of bread or dessert. Alternate between water and alcohol, or opt for lower-calorie drinks like wine or a spirit with soda water. My favorite go-to is club soda or Pellegrino with a squeeze of lime!

Add some electrolytes if you don't like plain water.

4. Hydrate

- Drink Plenty of Water: Hydration is not only critical for managing hunger but also for joint health. Water helps keep the cartilage in your joints supple and reduces the risk of injury while you’re out exploring. Always carry a water bottle and sip frequently, especially in warm climates. Don't like plain water? Squeeze some flavored electrolyte into your drink to entice you to stay hydrated!

- Limit Sugary Beverages: Opt for water or unsweetened beverages instead of sugary drinks or cocktails, which can contribute to weight gain and dehydration.

Keep your routine so you don't feel jet lagged.

5. Maintain Routine Where Possible

-Early Bird Gets the Worm: In my situation, I wake up even before the birds do, but aim to wake up at your usual time. When traveling overseas, ensure that you expose your face to sunlight to aid in resetting your Circadian rhythms. This adjustment will facilitate a quicker adaptation and reduce feelings of grogginess during your trip.

- Eat Regularly: Skipping meals on vacation can lead to overeating later in the day. Try to maintain regular meal times to keep your metabolism steady and your energy levels high.

- Sleep Well: Sleep is critical for both weight management and joint recovery, especially if you’re physically active. To ensure good sleep, even though you're out having fun, try to get back at a reasonable hour so that you can wake up and attack the next day. Keep your same sleep routine - read a book before bed, hide your electronics, and practice meditation - all great ways to end your day! After all, a lack of sleep increases cravings for unhealthy foods and can impair your body’s ability to repair itself.

Small indulgences can make all the difference

6. Practice Moderation

- Indulge, but in Moderation: Vacation is meant for enjoyment, and food is part of the fun. You can indulge in your favorite treats, but try to balance them with healthier meals during the day. I may have mentioned this above, but it bears repeating: finding balance isn't only important for navigating cobblestone streets or crossing tree branches, it's also about deriving satisfaction from your food choices without overindulging!

- Stick to the 80/20 Rule: Aim to eat healthy, nutrient-dense foods 80% of the time, leaving the other 20% for indulgences. This way, you won’t feel deprived, and your body will still get the nutrients it needs. My indulgence? ALWAYS dessert!

7. Use Mental Strategies

- Don’t Stress About Food: Vacations are meant to be enjoyed. While it’s great to stay mindful of your choices, stressing over every meal can take away from the experience. Relax, and allow yourself flexibility. Know that a week or two isn't going to completely derail any progress that you have made.

- Set Small, Positive Intentions: Focus on small daily goals like eating a nutritious breakfast or getting in some extra walking. These simple habits will make a big difference by the end of your trip. These little steps added together can make a huge difference in how you feel and the choices you make.

8. Find Balance Post-Vacation

- Get Back to Your Routine: After your vacation ends, there's no need to engage in a drastic diet! Resume your regular healthy eating and exercise routine. Allow a week or two for your body to readjust, and only make changes if you don't see any progress. Remember that you may be retaining excess water weight, particularly if you consumed a lot of carbohydrates. Any additional treats from the trip won't have a long-term effect if you promptly return to your healthy habits.

- Stay Positive: Don’t beat yourself up for enjoying your vacation. Instead, focus on long-term habits and goals, knowing that a few days of indulgence won’t derail your progress. After all, what's the point of eating healthy the majority of the time if you can't indulge every once in awhile.

Maintaining mobility helps keep injuries at bay

Maintaining Joint Health on Vacation

Staying active is great, but overdoing it or engaging in unfamiliar activities can put a strain on your joints. Here are a few ways to keep your joints healthy while traveling:

- Stretch Regularly: Whether you’re walking, hiking, or sitting during long flights, take a few minutes each day to stretch. Stretching helps keep your muscles flexible and reduces stiffness in your joints.

- Choose Low-Impact Activities: Pilates anyone? Activities like swimming, biking, and walking are also easier on your joints than high-impact exercises like running. Incorporating these into your vacation can help protect your knees, hips, and back.

- Wear Supportive Footwear: Proper footwear is essential when you're exploring new places. Wearing shoes with good arch support can prevent foot pain and reduce stress on your joints. If you buy new shoes, make sure to break them in BEFORE you leave and have a few band-aids on hand in case you do happen to develop a blister.

- Stay Hydrated: Water keeps your joints lubricated, reducing the likelihood of injury. Dehydration can cause joint pain, so make sure to drink plenty of water, especially in warm climates.

By following these steps, you can return from your vacation feeling good and ready to get back to work without any guilt!